X x x x x



H. T. BALLARD.

LET-OFF MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLlCATl0N-HLED.MAR.1, 1922.

1,-432-,948'.. Patented 0ct.24,192'2.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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" JYeneL'fI: BaZZcu d,

H. T. BALLARD.

LET-OFF MECHANISM FOR KNI TTING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. I,1922.

1,432,948. Patented Oct. 24,1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Inv/enibr:

Jierbsrfll'Ba llard,

Patented Ot. 24, 19:22.

' HERBERT rrrnononn en-tn so, on nennrsrow v; nnnsrnvsivrn. I I

LET-Orr" rincrrnn'rs u FUR rnrrrinsitrno'irrnies..

Or'ig'inaIapPIiQation filed March 28. 1921, Serial lie. 455,924. Dividedand this application filed March 1, 7

To all whom it may cancer-m .Be' it known that I, HERBERT T. B LLARn,

a subject ofthe King of Great Britain, and

in, LetOif Mechanism"for :Knitting hiachines, of which the followingisia spec1iica' tion," division of application Serial Number Theinvention-concerns means for. stop-' ping. the machinefwhen a bunch offibre-or other obstruction occurs atthe needles or:

. operator i'ro'm startingthe machine without when a broken needleoccurs. I

In the accompanying drawings Figure .lxis a'view of somuchjof a knittingmachine embodying my invention.

Fig.1 is a View of the catch holdingthe head.

' stand supportingposts in section.

In the drawings 1 indicates the needle cylinder which is clamped tothefixed frame 4: by a nut 5. 1 A plate l rotates on the frame and carriesa flange. 16 to which the lower needle cam section 11 is attached by Theupperlfcam section 10 is car ried by a'ring 12 which is supported byposts 13 from the plate 14:.

The yarn guides, two in number are shown at a,b, and they are sup-portedon thering 12 to rotate therewith.

I have provided means whereby the machine will-be stopped when a bunchor a damaged needle occurs, said-means including a detector finger'28pivotally mounted at 29 upon the ring 12 and having its inner spring 33from engagement with the vertical plunger 34 which will then be forceddownwardly by itsspring 85 to operate the resetting lever 36. This leveris pivotally mount Fig. 2 is, a sectional view of the knitting- Fig. 3.is a lan iew, with the bobbin fed through guides 27, to the other oneofthe i 1922. .serial 110.6%}224.

ed atjii'. and is provided with a handle'38. n I V. The. depression oftlllS' lever removes its 39'rfi'omthe let-off rod e0 so that this.

setting lever; SG-so that when the operator resets the lever 36 inposition to hold the letoil. for the, operation of the machine theplunger will he lifted so that the catch 32 will engageits upper portionand retain it untilthe next automatic stopping flaction occurs;,Thisarrangement will prevent the restoring the iplungerBi to itsnnormalposition for ope'ration.- The yarn 1S fed to one of the guides from anoverheadbobbin 20'which is supported upon the cross-piece 21 mounted onthe posts I 22 extending up from the revolving head of the machine..The'yarn frorn'this bobbin passes up through a guide eye 23 and thencelaterally and downward through the hollow post or rod 24 from whence itpasses to one of the yarn guides.

The other. yarn is drawn froma bobbin 25 supported in fixed relation tothe machine upon a standard 26and this yarn is deliverhollow rods 24from the lower end of which the yarn runs directly to the other yarngulde.

Certain features of structure disclosed herein and not claimed form thesubject matter of another application filed by me February 11th, 1922,Serial No. 535,912.

I claim: I Lln combination in a circular knitting machine, a fixedcylinder, a revolving member carrying needle cams, a post extending upfrom the revolving member, a member encircling and slidable I on saidposts, a j

spring for pressing said member downward- 1y, a detector finger forholding said member normally up, a latch supported on the fixed frameand adapted to be struck by the said slidable member when initslowermost position, and as the lattertravels with the I rotarymember,and stop motion connections slidable on said post, a spring {or pressingsaid member downwardly, a detector finger for holding saidmembernormally up, a latch supported on the fixed frame and adaptedrtobe struck by the said slidable member when in its lowermost position,and as the latter travels with the rotary member, and stop motionconnections controlled by the latch, said stop motion connectionsincluding a vertically movable plunger, a Spring for pressing saidplunger clownwardly, resetting lever'nponwhich said plung r normallyrests and which is restored to its set position to be engagedbytheflatch when the resetting lever is restored to normal position,substantially as ported on the fixed frame and adapted to be struck bythe said slidable member When in its lowest position and as the latter"travels with the rotary member, and stop motion connections controlledby the latch, substantially as described.

i. In combination in a knitting machine, a knitting head, having aneedle cylinder and rotary needle czunmnbobbin stand 1:0- tating withthe needle cams, a post for supporting the bobbin stand above theknitting head, a member encirclingqand slidable upon the said post, adetector finger for holding encirclingmember normally up, a latchsupported on the :fixed frames-and adapted to be struck by the said.slidable member when in its lowestposition and as the latter travelswith the rotary member, and stop motion connections controlled by thelatch, said knitting head including a ring 12 for supporting the uppersection of the cam ring and said detector finger beingmonnted on thesaid ring, substantially as vdescribed.

In testimony whereof, I atiix mysignature.

HERBERT THEODORE BALLABD.

